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There may be a path for Smith to revive the case, Cannon noted in her ruling, and Smith can appeal the decision. Cannon left open a potential pathway in her ruling for the classified documents case to be revived. (He is being prosecuted by a separate special counsel, David Weiss.) And during the Trump-Russia investigation, multiple Trump allies similarly attempted to derail special counsel Robert Mueller’s work. Former Attorney General Edwin Meese and Citizens United argued the same, writing that Smith’s appointment “severely undermines” the constitutional order.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Aileen Cannon, Jack Smith, General Merrick Garland, Smith, Cannon, Trump, “, ”, ” Cannon, Garland, Bill Barr, John Durham, Smith’s, it’s, Clarence Thomas The, Clarence Thomas, Thomas ’, Thomas, John Roberts, wasn’t, ” Thomas, Steve Vladeck, Joe Biden’s, Hunter Biden, David Weiss, Robert Mueller’s, James Pearce, Cannon’s, Edwin Meese, ” “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, Republican National Convention, Republican, Justice Department, Senate, United, United States Attorney, Defense, Treasury, The, Prosecutors, CNN, Georgetown University Law Center, FBI, Former, Citizens United Locations: Milwaukee, United States, California, Delaware, Russia, Virginia, Washington, DC, Mar

☆ Donald Trump transformed the federal judiciary. He could push the courts further right in a second term
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Andrew Seger | Phil Mattingly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“I totally transformed the federal judiciary,” Trump boasted at a summit hosted by the right-wing Moms for Liberty group last summer. “Many presidents never get the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice. But as Trump drives toward a potential second term, one thing is clear: He’s just getting started. (Project 2025 is the policy playbook crafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation for a potential second Trump term.) That intent for vengeance could set the bar for nominations and administration lawyers alike in a second Trump term.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump, “, ” Trump, Trump, ” Gregg Nunziata, Joe Biden, ”, Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, It’s, Alito, Thomas aren’t, Skye Perryman, it’s, Trump’s, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett –, “ Will, Hugh Hewitt, Mitch McConnell, I’ve, ” McConnell, Wade, Aileen Cannon –, ” Donald B, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, that’s, they’ve, Fox News ’ Sean Hannity, ” Will Chamberlain, Ron DeSantis, John Eastman, “ We’ve, ” Eastman Organizations: CNN, Liberty, Trump, Republican Party, Society, Federalist Society, Democracy, Heritage Foundation, Republican, EPA, Biden, Fox News, III, Florida Gov, Conservatism Conference Locations: “, Los Angeles, kilter, Dallas, Trump’s, Florida, George H.W ., Washington

☆ Jack Smith says Clarence Thomas’ attack on his appointment should not factor into classified documents case
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith told the judge in the classified documents case in Florida that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ criticism of his appointment should have no bearing on the criminal case against former President Donald Trump. In a brief filing Friday, Smith said that Thomas’ writing in the presidential immunity case – in a concurrence that no other justice joined – isn’t binding on US District Judge Aileen Cannon. In a filing last week, Trump’s lawyers brought to Cannon’s attention both the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling and the concurrence that Thomas wrote in that dispute. In response on Friday, Smith said that he agreed with Trump that both sides should file more briefing on how the high court’s immunity ruling affects the documents case. Cannon has not signaled yet how she’ll weigh the Supreme Court’s new ruling in the case before her.

Persons: Jack Smith, Clarence Thomas ’, Donald Trump, Smith, Thomas ’, –, Aileen Cannon, ” Smith, Thomas, Cannon, Trump, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand Organizations: CNN, Trump Locations: Florida, Washington ,

☆ Clarence Thomas accepted a free yacht trip to Russia and got flown out on a complimentary helicopter ride to Putin's hometown, 2 Democratic senators say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Democratic senators have accused Justice Clarence Thomas of accepting undisclosed gifts and trips. He allegedly accepted gifts like a yacht trip and a chopper ride to St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown. Senators seek investigation into potential tax fraud and financial ties between Thomas and Crow. AdvertisementTwo Democratic senators have accused Associate Justice Clarence Thomas of accepting free trips to Russian President Vladimir Putin's hometown. The letter highlighted the "serious possibility of tax fraud" and accused Thomas of having "secretly accepted gifts and income potentially worth millions of dollars."

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Putin's, Thomas, —, Vladimir Putin's, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Ron Wyden, General Merrick Garland, SCOTUS Organizations: Service, Oregon, Business Locations: St . Petersburg, Rhode Island

☆ AOC Moves To Impeach Clarence Thomas And Samuel Alito
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Erica Star Domena | Tamara Lindstrom | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.

Organizations: Business

☆ Ocasio-Cortez introduces articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices Thomas and Alito
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Owen Dahlkamp | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas over their failure to disclose gifts they have received while serving on the court – a messaging move that will surely fail in the GOP-controlled House. “Justice Thomas and Alito’s repeated failure over decades to disclose that they received millions of dollars in gifts from individuals with business before the court is explicitly against the law,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. This is the latest example of House Democrats – led by some of their highest-profile members – prioritizing the Supreme Court in their campaign year messaging. They’ve previously signaled that, if they regain control of the House, they’d use the power of the gavel to investigate alleged ethical lapses by the justices. CNN Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.

Persons: Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Alito’s, ” Ocasio, ”, Democrats –, CNN Tierney Sneed Organizations: CNN — Democratic, GOP, “, Democrats Locations: Alexandria, Cortez of New York

☆ Democrats go public with fears of GOP ‘landslide’ that could jeopardize US democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —President Joe Biden and his advisers keep issuing unequivocal declarations that he’s staying in the 2024 race, but Democrats aren’t hearing it. “Speaker Pelosi fully supports whatever President Biden decides to do,” a spokesperson said in a subsequent statement. “Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election, and maybe win it by a landslide, and take with him the Senate and the House,” he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. Trump is currently aheadCNN’s Road to 270 assessment of the electoral map shows Trump in position to win the election. “Donald Trump and the Republicans have loved every minute of watching this discussion,” Rep. Debbie Dingell, who represents the battleground state of Michigan, told CNN’s Jessica Dean.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, Nancy Pelosi, ”, Biden, Pelosi, Vermont Sen, Peter Welch, —, Colorado Sen, Michael Bennet, “ Donald Trump, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Adam Smith, ” Smith, Trump, CNN’s Wolf, Ritchie Torres —, Biden —, Clooney, George Clooney, cohosted, “ Joe Biden, ” Clooney, He’s, Rob Reiner, Michael Douglas, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, doesn’t, Lester Holt, ’ Bennet, Sens, Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester, ” Bennet, Donald Trump, CNN’s, Ronald Brownstein, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Harry Enten, CNN’s Jim Acosta, Hakeem Jeffries, Annie Grayer, Manu Raju, Jeffries, Debbie Dingell, CNN’s Jessica Dean Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Democrat, New York Rep, Congressional Black Caucus, The New York Times, Democrats, Trump, Biden, Hollywood, Democratic National Convention, NATO, NBC, Colorado Democrat, Senate, Republicans, White, House Democratic Caucus, ” Locations: Vermont, Washington, Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Russia, New York City, Georgia , Michigan, Nevada, Michigan

☆ Senators ask DOJ to investigate 'serious possibility of additional tax fraud' by Clarence Thomas
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTwo Democratic senators have called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a special counsel investigation into Clarence Thomas. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Presented with opportunities to resolve questions about his conduct, Justice Thomas has maintained a suspicious silence." AdvertisementA spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on the letter when reached by Business Insider. Thomas has previously denied any wrongdoing, arguing gifts from Crow and others fall under a "personal hospitality exemption," meaning they don't require disclosure.

Persons: —, General Merrick Garland, Clarence Thomas, Sheldon Whitehouse, Ron Wyden, Thomas, Harlan Crow, Mark Martin, Whitehouse, Thomas's, he'd, Crow Organizations: Service, Oregon, Supreme, Business, Judicial Conference, Wyden, Finance, Justice Department, Business Insider Locations: Sens, Rhode Island, Crow

☆ Democrats Seek Criminal Investigation of Justice Thomas Over Travel and Gifts
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Maya C. Miller | More About Maya C. Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two top Democratic senators have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation of Justice Clarence Thomas for possible violations of federal ethics and tax laws. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Ron Wyden of Oregon sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland last week asking that he appoint a special counsel to investigate Justice Thomas’s failure to disclose lavish gifts, luxury travel, a loan for a recreational vehicle and other perks given to him by wealthy friends. The request further intensified efforts by Senate Democrats to scrutinize Justice Thomas’s conduct at a time when they are trying to force Supreme Court justices to comply with stricter ethics and financial disclosure rules. “We do not make this request lightly,” the senators wrote in a joint statement. “Supreme Court justices are properly expected to obey laws designed to prevent conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety and to comply with the federal tax code.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Sheldon Whitehouse, Ron Wyden, General Merrick B, Garland, Thomas’s Organizations: Democratic, Justice Department, Oregon Locations: Rhode Island

☆ How Biden’s 2024 choice could reshape the Senate and Supreme Court for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

But recent history raises deep questions about whether Democratic Senate candidates can continue to levitate as far above the presidential ticket as polls now show. “A Democratic Senate majority coalition relies on having both Senators from a state such as Michigan,” said Daniel Hopkins, a University of Pennsylvania political scientist. As recently as the 1980s, it was common for voters to split their tickets in Senate races. Still, even that alignment left room for some Senate candidates to swim against this general tide. This history, by itself, doesn’t answer whether Democratic Senate candidates would have better prospects with or without Biden as their presidential nominee.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Republican Sen, Susan Collins of, Trump, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, ”, Democratic Sen, Evan Bayh, Bayh, “, —, Sen, Joe Manchin, who’s, Democratic Sens, Sherrod Brown of, Jon Tester, Montana, Bob Casey, Tammy Baldwin, Jacky Rosen, Elissa Slotkin, Ruben Gallego, Kyrsten, Martin Heinrich, Nella Domenici, Pete Domenici, Curtis Bashaw, Andy Kim, Bob Menendez, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, Collins, Ron Johnson, Daniel Hopkins, — hasn’t, David Bergstein, ” Bergstein, ” Mike Berg, ” Lee Drutman, Drutman, Biden’s, ” Drutman, Democratic pollster, ” Jason Kander, Kander, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Roy Blunt, doesn’t, ” Kander, ” Bayh, Republican Todd Young, it’s, Ronald Reagan’s, Barack Obama, Obama, Republican Dean Heller, Heller —, Steve Bullock, Jesse Hunt, Hunt, Hopkins Organizations: CNN, Senate, Democratic, Republican, White, GOP, West, Republicans, Biden, Democratic Sens, Democrats, Trump, University of Pennsylvania, don’t, Democratic Senatorial, “ Republicans, National Republican Senatorial, Democratic Senate, ”, White House, Indiana Senate, Democratic Gov Locations: Susan Collins of Maine, Indiana, West Virginia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, New Mexico, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, — Maine, Florida , Iowa, Ohio, New America, Missouri, Southern, Maine, Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky, Montana , South Carolina

☆ Senators seek special counsel probe of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the formal group photograph at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Two Democratic Senate committee leaders asked the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas broke federal tax and ethics laws, the senators said Tuesday. "The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations of federal ethics and false-statement laws," the senators alleged in the letter. It also "raises significant questions about whether he and his wealthy benefactors have complied with their federal tax obligations," Wyden and Whitehouse wrote. That evidence, they wrote, suggests that Thomas "likely violated federal law by accepting lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors and failing to report them" in violation of the Ethics in Government Act.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Ron Wyden, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, General Merrick Garland, Thomas, Wyden, Whitehouse Organizations: Democratic, Justice Department Locations: Washington , DC

☆ The Arizona primary where the MAGA movement is devouring itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

"He is running a very bigoted race," Hamadeh told me of Masters, "and MAGA and the America First movement is bigger than that." An anti-Hamadeh yard sign, paid for by the Masters campaign, beside one of Hamadeh's own signs in the 8th district. "This guy, he lost against Mark Kelly because he's a weirdo," Hamadeh told me. "I think that warrants some investigative journalism," Hamadeh told me. "I can't vote for you," one woman, apparently not a prospective constituent, told Hamadeh as she shook hands with him after the event, "but I'll give you a donation."

Persons: Abe Hamadeh, Hamadeh, I've, He's, Donald Trump, Kari Lake, MAGA, Blake Masters, Peter Thiel protégé, who's, It's, Bryan Metzger, Ben Toma, Debbie Lesko, Sen, Anthony Kern, There's, Trent Franks, Israel, there's, Lesko, —, Abraham, Abe, Ron Paul, Prophet Muhammad, Jesus, fashioning, he's, Trent, They're, MAGA bromides, JD Vance, Ohio, Masters, Vance, Ted Kacynski, Blake, Mark Kelly, Kari, Brandon Bell, Trump, Clarence Thomas, Thiel, Hamadeh's, Arizona Republic —, Rebecca Noble, Toma Organizations: Service, Republican, GOP, Arizona, Capitol, Trump, Masters, Supreme, Daily, University of, Maricopa County Attorney's, US Army Reserve, Republican Party, Senate, Sun City, Justice, Republicans, Sun City West, Stanford University, FBI, Thiel Capital, Fox News, Arizona Republic, Sun, Arizona House Locations: Phoenix, Arab American, Arizona, America, Tucson, North Phoenix, Washington, There's, Maricopa County, Mecca, Chicago, Skokie, United States, Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Vatican, Thailand, Japan, Sun City, crazies, Scottsdale, it's

☆ A Mark of Shame for 900 Years. Until Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The question now is whether the label will actually tarnish Mr. Trump, as it has so many people over the centuries. President Biden seems to be betting that it will. But in a sense, its power derives from its elastic boundaries: Unlike specific crimes, which hinge on the defendant’s behavior, the felony category is defined only by its punishments. “We don’t have a positive definition,” said Elise Wang, a historian who has traced the word’s origins back to medieval literature. “We only have a tautology.”

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Donald J, Trump, Biden, ”, Trump “, who’s, “, Elise Wang Organizations: Biden Locations: Manhattan

☆ Trump presses Judge Cannon to take up immunity question in classified documents case in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Paula Reid | Katelyn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Attorneys for former President Donald Trump are now seeking to use the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision to help him in his criminal case in Florida over the mishandling of classified documents. In a new court filing Friday, Trump’s team said they want an updated schedule in the federal classified documents case so they can argue points related to the Supreme Court decision. The decision “guts the Office’s position that President Trump has ‘no immunity’ and further demonstrates the politically-motivated nature of their contention that the motion is ‘frivolous,’” Trump’s attorneys wrote. The Supreme Court’s decision directly applies to the federal case over 2020 election subversion efforts in Washington, DC, but it could impact all four of the criminal cases against the former president. Trump’s attorneys argue the concurrence “adds force” to motions Trump has filed against how Smith was appointed and funded.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump’s, Trump, ”, Clarence Thomas, Jack Smith’s, Smith, Aileen Cannon’s, Cannon, Thomas, Thomas ’, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand Organizations: CNN, White, Trump Locations: Florida, Washington ,, Fort Pierce , Florida

☆ Clarence Thomas takes aim at a new target: Eliminating OSHA
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewSupreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has set his sights on eliminating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. And Thomas, widely considered to be the most conservative justice on the already mostly conservative court, wasn't happy. In a dissent, he explained why he believed the high court should've taken the case: OSHA's power, he argues, is unconstitutional. He argued that if OSHA didn't unconstitutionally grant too much legislative power to an agency, "it is hard to imagine what would." This isn't the first time Thomas has disagreed with his fellow justices to a conservative extreme.

Persons: —, Clarence Thomas, Thomas, should've, Julie A, Su, Labor —, Roe, Wade Organizations: Service, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Business, Labor, Appeals, Circuit, Reuters, Internal Revenue Locations: USA, Ohio, United States, SeaWorld

☆ Analysis: The Supreme Court just gave presidents a superpower. Here’s its explanation
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

But Congress may not criminalize the President’s conduct in carrying out the responsibilities of the Executive Branch under the Constitution. Juries can’t even consider official acts in terms of a prosecution, according to the Supreme Court. This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency? She said they could easily have expressed that some of Trump’s conduct was unofficial. Sorting private from official conduct sometimes will be difficult—but not always.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, John Roberts, Here’s Roberts, ”, Roberts, ’, –, Jack Smith’s, John Sauer, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, Mike Pence, Pence, they’re, George Washington’s, Smith, Clarence Thomas, “, …, Sonia Sotomayor, Trump’s, Sotomayor Organizations: CNN, Trump, Branch, Capitol, Supreme, Government, Founders Locations: Washington ,, Washington, United States

CNN —The Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision Monday granting Donald Trump partial immunity from special counsel Jack Smith’s election subversion case, handing the former president a significant win during his reelection bid. For starters, the Supreme Court ruled that for “core” presidential activity, Trump has the absolute immunity he had sought. The analysis about what’s immune and what isn’t “ultimately is best left to the lower courts to perform,” Roberts wrote. Immune, immune, immune,” she wrote. In a significant break from the court’s other conservatives, Barrett seemed to suggest Trump should go to trial quickly.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s, Smith, John Roberts, “, ” Roberts, ”, Trump, Justice Department –, isn’t “, Roberts, What’s, Tanya Chutkan, Sonia Sotomayor, Sotomayor, ” Sotomayor, Honig, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, ” Trump’s, Barrett, Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s, ” Barrett, David Cole, Thomas, Clarence Thomas, Merrick Garland, Garland, hasn’t, ” Thomas, CNN’s Katelyn Polantz Organizations: CNN, Supreme Court, Justice Department, Trump, American Civil Liberties Union, Senate Locations: Washington , DC, Florida

☆ Oral dissents are back in vogue at the Supreme Court as liberals lament latest rulings
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —As the conservative Supreme Court majority has won case after case in recent days, liberal dissenters are having their moment in the courtroom. Other justices stared out at spectators or down at notes, perhaps anticipating the next opinions, and dissents, to be revealed. The court majority reversed a 1984 milestone that required judges to defer to reasonable agency interpretations of their congressional mandates. Her oral dissent lasted nearly 15 minutes, about five minutes longer than Roberts’ rendition of the majority opinion. They begin with the author of the majority opinion delivering the facts of the case, law involved, and the resolution.

Persons: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Neil Gorsuch, Sotomayor, ”, “, ” Gorsuch, John Roberts, Kagan, Roberts, They’ve, Kagan’s, ” Kagan, Roe, Wade, Gorsuch, Sotomayor’s, Antonin Scalia, Jackson, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, improvidently, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, ” Alito, Biden, chiding Organizations: CNN, Friday, Natural Resources Defense, “, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, US Justice Department, Labor, Conservative Locations: Oregon, Grants, American, Idaho

☆ Justices Thomas and Alito Ignored Calls for Recusal in Jan. 6 Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Adam Liptak | More About Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr., rejecting calls for their disqualification, participated in the case, siding with a member of the mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Experts in legal ethics have said that the activities of the justices’ wives raised serious questions about their impartiality. Virginia Thomas, known as Ginny, helped shape the effort to overturn the 2020 election. But he recused himself in October from a case concerning John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who had advised Mr. Trump. Justice Thomas, for whom Mr. Eastman had served as a law clerk, gave no reasons for his decision to disqualify himself from that case.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Virginia Thomas, Ginny, “ Biden, Ms, Thomas, Mark Meadows, Donald J, Trump’s, John Eastman, Trump, Justice Thomas, Eastman Organizations: Capitol

☆ Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho for now
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. The court dismissed an appeal brought by Idaho officials, meaning a lower court ruling that allows doctors in the state to perform abortions in emergency situations remains in effect for now. The legislation, known as the Defense of Life Act, went into effect in 2022 when the Supreme Court rolled back Roe. The Supreme Court in January allowed Idaho to enforce the provisions while agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case. The emergency room dispute is one of two abortion cases the Supreme Court considered this term, both of which arose in the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Alito, Biden, Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Donald Trump, Roe, Wade, Lynn Winmill Organizations: WASHINGTON, Conservative, Liberal, Defense, Labor, U.S, Circuit, Supreme, Food Locations: Washington , DC, Idaho, U.S, San Francisco

☆ Supreme Court Rejects Liability Shield at Center of Purdue Pharma Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that members of the wealthy Sackler family cannot be shielded from lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis as part of a bankruptcy settlement that would channel billions of dollars to victims and their families. In a 5-to-4 decision, written by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, a majority of the justices held that the federal bankruptcy code does not authorize a liability shield for third parties in bankruptcy agreements. Justice Gorsuch was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. In a strongly worded dissent, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote that the “decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families.” He was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The decision jeopardizes a carefully negotiated settlement Purdue and the Sacklers had reached in which members of the family promised to give up to $6 billion to states, local governments, tribes and individuals to address a devastating public health crisis.

Persons: Sackler, Justice Neil M, Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Brett M, Kavanaugh, John G, Roberts Jr, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan Organizations: Chief, Purdue

☆ Supreme Court allows White House to press social media companies to remove disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( John Fritze | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the White House and federal agencies such as the FBI may continue to urge social media platforms to take down content the government views as misinformation, handing the Biden administration a technical if important election-year victory. Republican officials in two states – Missouri and Louisiana – and five social media users sued over that practice in 2022, arguing that the White House did far more than “persuade” the tech giants to take down a few deceptive items. That might include, the justices theorized, social media threats targeting public figures or disclosures of sensitive information about US troops. The case arrived at the high court at a time when the government has repeatedly warned of foreign efforts to use social media to influence elections. The jawboning case was one of several high-profile matters the court is deciding at intersection of the First Amendment and social media.

Persons: Biden, Amy Coney Barrett, “, ” Barrett, ” Biden, –, Hunter, John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Alito, Samel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, ”, ” Alito, ’, unjustifiably, Vivek Murthy, Roe, Wade, Roberts, Kavanaugh, Barrett Organizations: CNN, White, FBI, Biden, Department of Homeland Security, Facebook, Republican, Centers for Disease Control, Infrastructure Security Agency, Supreme, National Intelligence Locations: – Missouri, Louisiana, Florida, Texas

☆ On Guns, the Supreme Court Steps Back - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Linda Greenhouse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The nine members of the Supreme Court peered over a precipice. They could apply their two-year-old gun-rights precedent, as a lower court had, and declare unconstitutional a federal law aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of individuals under court-issued restraining orders for domestic violence. If they endorsed such an extreme outcome, they knew, they would be taking down not only a 30-year-old law but also perhaps even the court itself, already at a near low in public esteem. But it’s impossible to see the outcome in United States v. Rahimi as anything other than an exercise in institutional self-preservation. While Chief Justice John Roberts’s majority opinion garnered eight votes, five members of his majority felt impelled to express their own contrasting if not exactly conflicting views in separate opinions.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, John Roberts’s Locations: United States

☆ Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Biden Administration’s Contacts With Social Media Companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court handed the Biden administration a major practical victory on Wednesday, rejecting a challenge to its contacts with social media platforms to combat what administration officials said was misinformation. The court ruled that the states and users who had challenged the contacts had not suffered the sort of direct injury that gave them standing to sue. The decision, by a 6 to 3 vote, left fundamental legal questions for another day. “For months,” Justice Alito wrote, “high-ranking government officials placed unrelenting pressure on Facebook to suppress Americans’ free speech. Because the court unjustifiably refuses to address this serious threat to the First Amendment, I respectfully dissent.”

Persons: “, Amy Coney Barrett, ”, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Clarence Thomas, Neil M, Gorsuch, Alito, unjustifiably Organizations: Court, Biden, Facebook

☆ Justices Appear to Mistakenly Reveal a Key Abortion Ruling
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court seems poised to temporarily allow emergency abortions in Idaho when a woman’s health is at risk, according to a copy of what appeared to be the court’s opinion that was posted today, and then removed, from the court’s website. The majority’s unsigned opinion said that the case was “dismissed as improvidently granted” — rather than decided on merits — according to the 22-page document, which was published this afternoon by Bloomberg News. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented. A spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said that the document had been “inadvertently” uploaded by its publications unit. It would be the second time this term that the justices have deflected ruling on the merits of abortion.

Persons: “, improvidently, ” —, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch Organizations: Bloomberg News Locations: Idaho

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